Altruism of Gratitude

Under Act No.1870, the Governor General authorized that “[w]ithin the powers and limitations herein specified, to establish in the City of Manila, or at the point he may deem most convenient, a University which shall be known by the designation of University of the Philippines, the same being organized as a corporation under that name.” When our academia was instituted during the early decades of the American regime, the intent was to train a core of Filipino professionals for colonial bureaucracy. At the moment, it is something else. The name UP has been compromised for personal gains, not for an altruistic toil in our administrative system.

The institution has today flourished into a university system with seven constituent universities located in twelve campuses around the country. Last April 29, 2008, it had been proclaimed as the national university. From this purpose in Act No. 1870, “to provide advanced instruction in literature, philosophy, the sciences, the arts, and to give professional and technical training,” it now shines under the 2007 UP Charter limelight with purposes of “the search for truth and knowledge as well as the development of future leaders.”

The university has undoubtedly accomplished its mission regarding the advanced inventiveness of its educational qualification instructions in literature, philosophy, sciences, and arts, and the provision of professional and technical training to its students. But the rationale of the search for truth and knowledge and development of future leaders is another matter of consideration. It did not take long to realize that the increasing UP alumni had less and less preference to public service as their career destinations. Some private companies like Unilever and Procter and Gamble have been aliased UP Republic. With their continuing symposia, leadership trainings, and most importantly job openings for our students, it not unlikely that after conducting classes in rooms sponsored by these companies, we go directly to their offices and acquire relatively good cash after graduation. On the other hand, momentary BPO employments considered stepping stone jobs, are eating up a great number of potentials who could have reversed the political scenario of the Philippines. There are a good number of alumni who have made it to high-ranking seats in the Congress or Malacañang or Supreme Court; however, a good number has as well been allegedly involved in grand-scale corruptions and other crimes. Hence, it is on our shoulders that the elders had planted the hope of seeing efficient and honest and decent leaders in the years to come by.

They have told us to give back. They have told us to give back to the community, to the university, and to the country that have nurtured us. They have told us to give back without holding back. As scholars of the nation, we have an additional responsibility of strengthening the hallmark of gratitude to the government and the people who religiously pay their levies.

According to the National Expenditure Program for 2009 in President Arroyo’s speech to the House of Representatives, the allocated budget for the education sector this year is 189.1B Php. The budget for 112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) is only P22.57 billion ($482.06 million). Almost one-third of this will go to the University of the Philippines (UP) system. Its population of more than 50, 000 will get P6.7 billion ($143.1 million), the biggest budget among SUCs. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the largest university in terms of student population will only receive P663.64 million ($14.17 million). It has six campuses, two branches and ten extension campuses serving more than 52,000 students. The Philippine Normal University (PNU), the country’s center for teacher education with its four campuses, will only get P282.32 million ($6.03 million).

That the government is subsidizing a great part of our education, we cannot deny. And to pay them back through public service is a customary imbursement. But any Filipino who is sacrificing a portion of his salary can lay the same claim to us. With or without the tuition hike and all, he continues to do so to help put us through school. His taxes and million others’ taxes have invested in us and enabled us to gain the label of an iskolar ng bayan.

Nobody said that the only way to give back to the nation is to work in government offices and produce communal service. We can be in the academe and infuse what knowledge we have acquired, to aid in the development of a specialization. Research and scientific investigations are the end-destinations of the theses and dissertations we were required to make in college.

But we can be someone else as well. One who could see the flaws of the general public while enjoying fruits of a hard labor. We can be a chemist in a gargantuan pharmacy and discover a new drug. We can be a big-time host of a business process outsourcing firm and spearhead technological advances for third-world countries. We can be filthy rich and a CEO and attract foreign investors to the Philippines. In any case, we can work in any private company and still think about our society.

The Philippine Diaspora has paralyzed our circumstances. Indisputably, we cannot be blamed if we refuse measly pesos when we could be paid the more-than-enough value of our worth overseas. Going to the other side of the fence for greener pastures is not an antonym of giving back. As long as we add to the labor force which drives the economy of this country, we are not less of a nationalist. The problem is not the type of job we opt after graduation but the substantial amount of productivity we render to the country with whatever salary we are earning. Having a job is good. But keeping it is better. Mediocre performance is not just a mar to the premiere university who nested us for years but a slap on the faces of whoever financed our education until we put on our sablays and receive our diplomas.

Multi-tasking – that is what they teach us and what they teach us well in this university. In whatever job we have, we live up to the expectations and ideals of our alma mater. We ought to give our 110% best effort. But we must remain critical and perceptive of the issues around us. Whether we will be richer or poorer after graduation; helping out slum dogs in Manila or picking fruits in Milan, the University of the Philippines expects no less from us. Wherever we are and no matter what we do, in our simplest means, give back.